sixtyandme logo

Friendships

For most of our lives, our social relationships are accidental. Then, in our 60s, we find ourselves wondering how to make friends as an adult. This is not a trivial question. Having strong social ties is good for our health and happiness. Let's explore this topic together.

1 year ago

Hopscotch and the Art of Making Friends as an Older Adult

Hopscotch. We played the game every day after school. We played it on the sidewalks and in the playgrounds outside the eighteen-floor brick building that was our home in Brooklyn, New York. We played as a way to hang out with each other…

Read More
1 year ago

How to Successfully Navigate Renting to a Friend

Have extra space in your home that can be used to create a rental income stream and a friend in need of a place to live? Before long, the conversation inevitably turns to a discussion about becoming housemates. It may sound like a perfect idea to live…

Read More
1 year ago

3 Tips for Navigating Complicated Relationships on This Side of 50

As I write this article, I find myself in a phase of life where I am 61 years old and very suddenly having to supervise care for my mom who just turned 85. This situation is further complicated by the fact that our relationship has not been the most fabulous…

Read More
1 year ago

6 Powerful Ways to Communicate Without Saying Anything

One of the most powerful methods of communicating with one another is a through non-verbal language. Whether you’re at a networking event, meeting with a recruiter or in a critically important interview, it’s important that your body…

Read More
1 year ago

10 Techniques to Help You Prepare for Your Big High School Reunion or Family Gathering

Attending significant gatherings, whether a class reunion or a family wedding, can make us anxious even as we look forward to them. We’ll be seeing people who knew us way-back-when, at those times of life we might prefer to edit or ignore…

Read More
1 year ago

Handling Relationship Disappointment in Our 60s

I am very much a woman who follows her gut instincts and goes by the belief that first impressions are lasting impressions. So, when I form a positive opinion about somebody that proves to be wrong, I actually disbelieve myself – until I am ready to accept…

Read More
1 year ago

How Do Real Friends Respond to a Serious Illness? (7 Comforting Things to Say)

My friends are getting sick at an alarming rate. No doubt it goes with the aging process. We all get our share of aches and pains but some illnesses are a matter of life and death. When your friend is diagnosed with a serious illness, what’s the best way to respond?

Read More
1 year ago

How Important Are Your Neighbours as You Reach the Mark of 60?

My very friendly next-door neighbours moved back to the US. In many ways, it was not a surprise, as they were always going to be visitors in London – here because of the husband’s job. Yet it came as both a shock and a loss…

Read More
1 year ago

Rekindling Family Relationships and Friendships, Can We Do It?

Some years ago, when my mother flew alone across Canada to visit with me, I was desperate to find a way to rekindle our former deep emotional connection. Since she had remarried several years earlier, I felt that I had lost some of our precious bond…

Read More
1 year ago

My Continuing Friendship with My Two Exes

I ask myself this question often: how did I remain good friends with not one, but two ex-husbands? First, let me say that I am eternally grateful for that. There is no magic answer, but rather an ironic one; I chose two good men. If tomorrow…

Read More